Instruction Manual

Pulsar Plus Controller Family
Issue 7 December 2011 133
Appendix A: Software Upgrades through Craft
Port
Software can be upgraded through the 10/100Base-T connection either over the network or when
configured as the Ethernet Craft Port. There are four program files that can be upgraded on the Pulsar Plus
family of controllers: The boot block, the factory defaults, application, and web pages. The present
application does not have a factory defaults file. Hard coded defaults are utilized. In any case, each of these
items has a specific file name. FTP is used for upgrading controller software. Each file goes in a certain
directory on the controller:
Item
File
Directory
Boot Block
NE843-boot.bin
/
Defaults NE843-dflts.bin dflts
Application NE843-app.bin code
Web pages NE843-pages.web web
Backup Configuration config.gal config
Language file alt.lang custom
These files must be uploaded to the controller using FTP either through the web page interface or through a
direct Telnet session. To use FTP, the user must first initiate a Telnet session through the Craft port or
network connection. To use the Ethernet port locally as a Craft port it needs to be configured as a DHCP
Server. DHCP Server operation can be validated at Menu
StatusNetwork Settings. Scroll down to view
the port’s present configuration.
If it is not in DHCP Server mode, make sure the Craft port is not plugged into a LAN connection and re-
configure the DHCP setting from the front panel to be Server. This is parameter is found in
Menu
ConfigurationCommunication PortsNetwork SettingsDHCP. Note: the controller will need
to be rebooted in order to accept the new Ethernet port configuration. This is done by temporarily removing
power to the unit. This process takes approximately two minutes.
Common FTP commands used when performing file operations are:
• ftp – Initiate the ftp session.
• cd – Change directories in the controller.
• put – Copy files from the PC running FTP to the controller (The present working
directory of the PC will be the source directory for the file being copied.)
• get – Copy files from the controller to the PC running FTP (The present working
directory of the PC will be the destination directory for the file being copied.)
• bye – Exit the FTP session
• pwd – Display the path of the current directory
• rm – Remove a file from a directory
• ls – List all files in a directory
Note: The controller has a file/directory structure as shown below: Where “/” is the root directory. Each
subdirectory contains files that are necessary for the Application Software and web pages. Thus, using an
FTP client, shown previously, files may be transferred to/from these controller directories. The exact path to
the upgrade file may be used in the “put” command to update the software. Note: software upgrades